In some applications, it is beneficial to provide a portable printer. For example, portable printers may be beneficial for retail stores. These stores often provide all incoming goods with labels for inventory purposes. It is often easier to relocate a printer than the merchandise. In addition to portability, the stores often desire that the printer be able to produce quality prints and be acquired at an affordable price. Meeting all of these requirements presents several obstacles that printer manufacturers may have to overcome in order to produce a marketable product. Stores may also be interested in labeling shelves or inventory locations with prices or customer information, or possibly more permanent information, such as location. Some of those shelves and inventory locations may be outside, inside a cooler, or near a window or special lighting source. These conditions create additional requirements for the printer and the printed output that manufacturers must overcome.
Beyond stores, other labeling and tracking applications may also require a portable printer. Labeling large items, such as oil field equipment, furniture, or utility fixtures is often best done without moving the item to be labeled. Military supplies, and their containers, are often labeled at remote locations or while in transit. Materials that are hazardous, explosive, or fragile are often labeled without being moved. Items delivered by truck, rail, air, sea container, and even bicycle may need to be labeled in the field. These applications require high quality, durable labels, tags, wristbands, or receipts from a portable printer. Depending on the application, the diverse user of the printer may be a young retail associate, a U.S. Marine, or an oil field worker. The printer could be used in a refrigerated warehouse, an air conditioned department store, an urban delivery route, or a desert war zone. This variety of uses, users, and locations also create additional requirements for the printer and the printed output.
Applicant has identified a number of deficiencies and problems associated with the manufacture, operation, and use of portable printers. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, Applicant has solved many of these identified problems by developing a solution that is embodied by the present invention, which is described in detail below.